Secrets of Chambers
by auroraziazan
Summary: Did you ever wonder what was going on in the secret rooms of Hogwarts?


Secrets of Chambers

  
  


Chapter 1

  
  


Hermione Granger was correct when she said that there were some things missing in Hogwarts, a History, namely the mention of house elves. However, when house elves are glossed over, so are certain other important historical events having to do with them. Like the House Elf Rebellion of 1415.

Back in those days, Hogwarts had yet to employ a groundskeeper or a caretaker. The house elves did all the jobs around the school besides teaching and administration. Considering the size of the school, and its population, which back then was about 500 humans, that was a sizable task. They had to clean the school building, outside and in, keep the lawn and pitch in good condition, prepare the food, do the laundry, and take care of the classrooms, common rooms, and dormitories.

By nature, house elves are subservient and are generally happiest when working. There are odd ones in every species, though, and Cary was one of them. Cary had belonged to a midwife until the woman's death a few years before. They had traveled around to the homes of witches having children, and would stay a month or two to get the baby settled in before moving on. Cary had been responsible for cleaning and watching the baby, and most often the changing of its cloths. Even for a servant, it was a detestable job, and she had been glad to be free of the task.

The house elves at Hogwarts take turns with the different tasks, so as to give them all a change every month or so. Cary was in a group of elves that had just been transferred to the care and keeping of common rooms and dormitories. She was in bad standing with their leader, who had caught her numerous times resting when she should be at work, and so she was assigned to chamber pot duty with another elf, Lani. Hogwarts was a large castle even back then, and had an awful lot of chamber pots for two elves to keep empty on their own without the aid of magic. There was a bad bit of sickness going around then, and they were kept on their feet all day long.

Finally, Cary had had enough. "That's it!" She squealed. "I have spent an entire month doing nothing but empty chamber pots. I am sick of it. I absolutely refuse to empty another chamber pot, ever."

Lani looked at her like she had sprouted wings. "What are you saying? You have to do as your told."

"Not when it's told by another elf. Unless the Headmaster himself orders it, I refuse."

"But that leaves all of yours to me, so I'd have twice as many to do by myself."

"No." Cary grabbed Lani's hand as she was reaching for another one. "You don't have to do it either. In fact, you won't. You hate doing it, it's an awful job, and I would bet my life you could find a single creature in the entire castle that doesn't hate to empty chamber pots."

"Well, what are we going to do? They won't empty themselves, and it will make a worse mess if they are allowed to overflow."

"We'll simply make them listen to us. When they don't get emptied, they'll have to listen, or empty the foul things themselves."

"What, do you intend to go right to the Headmaster then?"

"Yes." Then she gulped, and her courage left her.. "Will you come with me?"

"It's your fool idea, and he's just going to tell you to get back to work."

"And that's the worst that can happen. Please?"

"Oh fine." So they walked together to the office of the headmaster. He was sitting behind his desk, answering a letter.

"Excuse me, Master Darren, sir?" Cary squeaked.

"Yes, what is it?"

"It's about the chamber pots, sir. Cary and Lani have been emptying them for a month, sir, and it's really too much."

"What's too much, Cary?"

"Cary hates to complain, sir. But sir, Cary hates emptying chamber pots even more, sir, and so does Lani, and all the other elves, sir."

He looked thoughtful. "What do you expect me to do about it?"

"Cary doesn't know, sir. Could Master Darren do something so they could empty by themselves?"

"I'll need to think about it. Do you think you and Lani could tidy up my office while I go talk to one of the professors?"

"Oh, yes sir," they both nodded anxiously.

"All right. Wait in here until I get back."

  
  


Of course, they got their self-emptying chamber pots, with a spell similar to the one the potions master used to deal with unwanted or accidental potions. And so, in under an hour the House Elf Rebellion was stopped. No problems arose until, centuries later, the headmistress made the decision to switch the castle over to flushing toilets. By then they had a caretaker, and he was given the responsibility of dealing with the enormous collection of enchanted chamber pots the school had amassed.

The caretaker, who didn't hold much stock in the indoor toilets, moved all the chamber pots to an empty classroom, and enchanted it so that it could be found wherever someone in the castle was in need.

  
  


A/N: I totally don't know how this one will go, it doesn't exactly have a plot, it is just telling about some of the secret rooms around Hogwarts and what happens in them. Tell me what you think.


End file.
